A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved device for toasting items such as buns and the like.
B. Description of the Prior Art
In many large commercial institutions that serve products with buns and the like that are to be toasted it is desirable to toast a large number of these buns in a short period of time. A typical bun includes a crown portion and a heel portion that are of unequal dimensions. For example, the crown portion is usually of a greater thickness than the heel portion. Accordingly, the toasting apparatus must be capable of accepting both the crown and the heel portions but in addition, must be able to ensure that the open side of both the crown and the heel portion are firmly pressed against a heated platen of the toaster in order to attain complete and even toasting.
It is important that complete and even toasting is accomplished since the toasting of the open face of the heel and crown portions results in a carmelizing effect that not only provides a toasted appearance and taste but also effectively seals the open faces thereby preventing seepage of the juices from the meat placed on the buns and other ingredients such as ketchup and mustard into the body of the heel and crown portions. It is further desirable that an equal number of crown and heel portions can be inserted into the toaster at the same time so as to prevent unequal number of toasted portions available to be served to the customer. It is also desirable that a large number of heel and crown portions be toasted in a relative short period of time. Due to the large number of buns toasted by these toasters, it is also desirable that the platen can be removed to allow periodic cleaning.
Typical prior art toasters may be of the type such as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,517,605 wherein a stepped platen or other structure is included in the toaster so that a crown and heel portion of a bun may be inserted into the toasting apparatus side by side. Another example of the prior art toasting device is illustrated in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,156 wherein the platen is fixed within the toaster and the conveying system and the surface against which the heel or crown portions engage is movable relative to the platen to adjust for the size of the portion of the bun being toasted. These prior art structures, however, require careful and slow insertion of the heel and crown portions of the buns into the toaster thereby reducing the speed at which the buns are toasted and also leaving a substantial margin for error in the distance between the platen and conveyor that results in incomplete toasting of the bun and thus an unacceptable product to sell. Accordingly, it is desirable to overcome these disadvantages among others.